Game and game board



Jan. 30, 1940. K. L. MURRAY I 2,188,480

GAME AND GAME BOARD Filed Sept. 17. 19:57

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ATTORNEYS.

v 6 0 1 60 sf Patented Jan. 30, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GAME AND GAME BOARD Application September 17, 1937, Serial No. 164,363

1 Claim.

My invention relates to a game and to the paraphernalia employed in playing it.

There are several games played with pencil and paper in which the contestants alternately make marks within certain spaces delineated on a sheet of paper and the contest consists in each of the contestants trying to accomplish a certain arrangement of marks on the delineated spaces while at the same time preventing his opponent from accomplishing a like purpose. Possibly the best known of such games is tittat-toe the principle of which is understood by almost everyone. My new game has a somewhat similar purpose.

It is the object of my invention to provide a playing board having a playing area delineated thereon on or in which the contestants alternately place selected playing pieces, it being the aim of each to place the last piece needed to cover the complete playing area while at the same time preventing the opponent from accomplishing a similar purpose.

The objectof the game is to provide recreation and a contest of wits in which each move or play must be made with careful attention to the opportunity which a contestant will give his opponent to take advantage of the play and so win the game himself.

It is an object to provide a game board and playing pieces in which the playing space or area of the board and the playing pieces have a certain mathematical relation which must be considered in making the plays.

It is further my object to provide a mathematical game the board and playing pieces for which may be inexpensively manufactured and printed so that the paraphernalia for the game may be sold at a small price or utilized as a premium in connection with advertising.

The foregoing objects and other objects to which reference will be made in the ensuing description, I accomplish by that certain combination and arrangement of parts of which I have illustrated several embodiments which will enable others to practice the invention in its broader aspects.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure 1 is a plan view of one type of playing board.

Figure 2 is a plan view of several sets of playing pieces.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the playing board shown in Figure 1 with an arrangement of playing pieces on the board to illustrate how the game is played.

Figure 4 is a plan view of a modified type of playing board.

Figure 5 is a plan viewof several sets of playing pieces for use with the board illustrated in Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a plan view of the board shown in Figure 4 with a substantially similar arrangement of playing pieces on the board as is shown in Figure 3.

Referring first to Figures 1 to 3, a flat board I has a segment of a ring recessed in the surface of the board with an outer edge boundary 2 and inner edge boundary 3. The boundaries are formed along the lines of concentric circles and at one position a segment of the ring is left unrecessed as indicated at 4 to indicate a beginning and ending position.

In the board I the recessed area covers an arc of 300 of a circle, the ring segment 4 covering 60 of the circle. The playing pieces are ring segments 5a to 5 inclusive, and Ba to 61, inclusive, each contestant being allocated one set of playing pieces which are exact duplicates. The playing pieces 5a6a are segments of degrees of the complete ring; 517-617 are 20 degrees, 5c6c 30 degrees, 5d--6d 40 degrees, lie-6e 50 degrees and 5f6f 60 degrees. The playing space being 300 degrees is a multiple of each of the playing pieces excepting the pieces 5d6d. Each of the playing pieces 511-51, lib-6f, has a length which is a multiple of the smallest playing pieces 5a6a.

In the modification illustrated in Figures 4-6 the playing area of the board la, instead of being the segment of a ring, is an elongated recess with parallel side edges 2a, 3a. The playing pieces '|a1f, 8a8f are of rectangular shape, the larger ones lb-J), 8b8f being multiples of lengths of the smallest pieces la, 8a. The length of the playing recess is also a multiple of the length of the smallest playing piece.

Other playing boards may be made for example with semi-circular playing areas and sector shaped playing pieces instead of segmentary ring or rectangular shape. The mathematical principle involved is the same and the game is played in the same way. Regardless of the geometrical form of the playing area it must be a multiple of the area of the smallest playing piece and the larger playing pieces have areas which are multiples of the smallest pieces. The numbers of pieces in each series may be increased or reduced and there are wide variations in rules for playing the game.

I have shown recessed playing areas or zones in the boards but these may be formed by printing the playing areas in different colors than the remaining surface of the board. All that is necessary is that the playing areas must have boundary lines within which the playing pieces Will fit.

The arrangements of playing pieces in both Figures 3 and 6 is the same so I will describe in detail only the arrangement in Figure 3.

Suppose A has the playing pieces colored red and B those colored blue. B begins the game and plays a piece 6c having an arc of degrees. A may then play the piece 5d having an arc of degrees. B may then play the piece Ed having an arc of 40 degrees. A may next play the piece 5d having an arc of 40 degrees. B may next play his piece 6b with an arc of 20 degrees. A may then inadvertently play his piece 5 having an arc of degrees. This will only leave an arc of 60 degrees not filled in, 30+50+4il+ i0+20+60 equaling 240 degrees. B can then play his piece 6 and win the game.

Variations may be provided by allowing each player to have two or more sets of series of playing pieces or the game may be played by partners having alternate turns.

It will be obvious that there are almost infinite varieties of plays possible wh ch lends to the interest of the game.

The suggestion that .difierent colors be used for the playing pieces is merely for illustrative purposes and is not essential. The playing pieces may. all be the same color or they may not be colored at all. As long as the contestants make their plays or moves alternately this is all that is necessary to determine which one makes the last move which fills in the playing space. Further the size and shape of the playing pieces may be varied Within a wide range of geometrical patterns.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A game board provided with a playing zone comprising a curved recess in the form of a major arcuate portion of a circle, the terminals of the recess forming abutinents for the playing pieces, a plurality of series of playing pieces of varying lengths shaped to fit the curved recess and movable therein, each series having distinctive visual characteristics and the dimensions of the playing pieces being such with reference to each other and to the dimension of the recess that a properly selected number of playing pieces will fill the recess.

KENNETH L. MURRAY. 

